Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label Book

“Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label is a celebration of the first 25 years of the label that defined hip-hop music and culture. This is the story of Def Jam in the words of its artists and top executives, taken from interviews and seamlessly told as a narrative of no-holds-barred recollections and anecdotes, made even more compelling by the fact that Def Jam is one of the last great record labels to enjoy the widespread cultural influence that it does, in light of the increasing digitization of music. Def Jam celebrates a label that defined hip-hop and whose impact extends beyond its incredible roster of recording artists to all areas of culture – fashion, lifestyle, cinema, art – impacting the music business and pop culture forever. In 1984, Def Jam introduced a new kind of music and lifestyle – hip-hop – through aspiring record producer and punk-rocker Rick Rubin and party promoter/artist manager Russell Simmons.” An official release is slated for September 2011 through book publisher Rizzoli.